Process of shutting off water in drilled oil-wells.



W. PLDTTS.

PROCESS UFzSHUTTING OFF WATER IN DRILLED UIL WELLS.

(Ap'pncnion'nhd occ. 2s. 1901,)

No. 7l5,l4l. Patented Dec. 2.1902,

FM- o FWZ 1512 Adams 5ans cn. #Hum-urna, wAsnmemmm en UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VILLIAM PLOTTS, OF WHITTIER, CALIFORNIA.

PROCESS OF SHUTTING OFF WATER IN DRILLED OIL-WELLS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 715,141, dated December 2, 1902. Application led October 23| 1901. Serial No. 79,723. (No model.)

ter in Drilled Oil-Vells, of which the foll0w.

ing is a specification.

In drilling wells for crude petroleum it often happens that before the oil sand is reached one or more stratum of water-bearing sand is passed through. Often there is considerable water found therein, which follows the casing down into the oil-sand, which it will speedily render useless for oil production unless the water is shut off. In many instances within my knowledge this has been impossible and the holes had to he abandoned. In other cases the expense of shutting olf the water has been very large.

The object of my invention is to enable the operator to securely shut off the water from4 reaching the oil-sand.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l represents a drilled well, with the casing therein` in which a stratum of water-bearing sand has been passed through. Fig. 2 represents the same well with the water shut off, a portion of the outer casing being broken away for clearness of illustration.

In drilling oil-wells it is the common practice to commence the well-hole with a larger casing than is required for permanent use, so that in case water in injurious quantities is reached a small hole may be drilled and a smaller casing used 'for the remainder of the well.

In my improved process, as shown in the drawings, the larger casing A is used until it passes a short distance through the stratum of water-bearing gravel B which it is desired to shut off. A smaller hole is drilled within the larger casing down into the oil-sand C, and a smaller casing D is used from the surface of the ground K down into the oil-sand. As soon as the smaller casing is down into the oil-sand the required depth I loosen the outside larger caSing, so that I can draw it up and push it down. I then keep the outside casing moving up and down by any suitable means. I have illustrated it by walkin g-beam E, attached to the outside casing by link F and collar G, means (not shown) being used to impart motion to the walking-beam. I then start and keep running a stream of water between the two casings, which llows downward and then up around the outer casing. I put in between the two casings, the space therebetween being shown at M in Fig. 2, a quantity of fine sand L or other suitable material, enough to lill a few inches of the botom of the large hole at the point marked II. The flowing water aids in causing the sand to settle below the outside casing. This fine sand soon fills up the space between the earth or rock, on the outside thereof, and it is firmly tamped by the movement of the outside casing. As soon as it is secu rely tamped, which is readily known to the experienced driller, the larger casing is raised a few more inches, and more fine sand is tamped in. After a sul'licient quantity of tine sand is tamped between the earth and smaller casing, clayJ or other suitable earth forpuddling thesaud istamped upon the top of the fine sand and the stratum of water is thus securely shut olf from following the casing down into the oil-sand.

Instead of using the outside casing to camp with, a section ofpipe surrounding the inner casing and loosely moving thereon and provided with rods extending to the surface to move the same may be used. In drilling wells an accurate record is usually and should be always kept showing the character of the different strata drilled through.

It will be observed that by the use of my process a hole may be drilled and casing used just a little larger than the size of the casing desired for permanent use and that the drilling can proceed uninterruptedly until the oilsand is reached, so far as water is concerned, and that when a proper depth in the oil-sand has been reached a smaller casing can be put in and the water shut olf at each Water-bearing stratum with absolute certainty of success and at a slight expense, as the sand can be packed and puddled so that no water can pass therethrough. Other packing material than sand may be used and otherk means to tamp the sand may be resorted to than the use of the outside casing without departing from the spirit of my invention, which cou IOO sists, essentially, in tamping sand or other suitable packing material around the casing in the hole and puddling the same with clay or other suitable material between the oilsand and the water-bearing stratum. After the water is shut off the larger casing is re-` moved from the ground for future use.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The herein-described method of shutting ofi:l water in drilled oil-Wells, which consists in drilling a larger hole to a short distance below the water-bearing stratum which it is desired to shutoff and 'casing the same; then drilling a smaller hole in the bottom of the larger hole down into the oil-sand and putting in a casing in the smaller hole; after which the larger casing is loosened and kept the Water-bearing stratum which it is desired to shut off; then drilling a smaller hole in the bottom of the larger hole as far as desired and casing said smaller hole; feeding a packing material around the casing of the smaller hole; tamping said packing material around the said smaller casing below the water-bearing stratum; then feeding a puddling material around the casing in the smaller hole; and then tamping said puddling material upon said tamped material around the casing in the smaller hole; and means to tamp said packing and puddling material substantially as described herein.

In Witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 16th day of October, 1901.

WILLIAM PLOT'IS.

Witnesses:

SAMUEL ST. JOHNS, MADISON T. OWENS. 

